Year: 2012

The Fiscal Compact and Wider European Reform

I agree with Michael O’Sullivan (op-ed in today’s FT available here) that the Fiscal Compact should be debated in the context of a wider European reform agenda and that the Ireland should positively engage in the wider reform process.  My view is that the implementation of the Fiscal Compact raises the probability that other reforms will be delivered; his ultimate position on the referendum vote was not obvious from his article.

(The FT also carries an interesting analysis article on the lessons from Iceland here.)

Statement by Minister for Finance to the Dáil on 31st March Promissory Note Payment

Statement here.

HM Treasury and the Financial Crisis: Review

Read the critical review here and reflect on any lessons for the operation of the Irish department of finance.

IBRC Annual Report

The 2011 Annual Report for the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation has been released.  The Consolidated Income Statement and Consolidated Financial Position are reproduced below the fold though I would recommend looking at the relevant Note in the full report to get more insight on any particular figure.

Continue reading “IBRC Annual Report”

2011 Census Results

Today the CSO begin their release of the detailed results (schedule) from last April’s Census with the publication of This is Ireland (Part 1).  There is lots of information in the volume and here is just one table that reflects a point made in the press release.

I couldn’t see the equivalent 1996 numbers in a quick search and the category on “Being purchased from a Local Authority” was not used in the 2011 Census so the “Rented from Local Authority” figure is presumably the sum of earlier categories.  The “Rented from a Voluntary/Cooperative Body” first appeared in the 2006 Census and the initial number seems high. 

As the press release highlights the big change is in the number of households renting which increased from 300,000 to almost 475,000 over five years.  It can also be seen that around 35% of households have a mortgage.  There were 290,000 vacant units on Census night.